Senate committee hears testimony on $103,498 appropriation for Oregon Summer Star camp

Chair Manning opened a public hearing on Senate Bill 466 on behalf of the Senate Committee on Veterans Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs, which would appropriate $103,498 to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services for distribution to the Suga Community Commission to support Oregon Summer Star and declares an emergency making the appropriation effective on passage.

Sen. Suzanne Weber, sponsor of SB 466, said the appropriation would cost “less than what it takes to run one legislative office for a biennium” and argued that the funding could reach “thousands of children in Oregon.” She told the committee she would accept amendments to the bill’s funding mechanism if needed to secure passage.

The committee heard more than two dozen witnesses — camp founders, staff, former campers and military family members — who described Oregon Summer Star as a week‑long camp that connects military‑connected children with peers, provides trauma‑informed staff and mental‑health supports, and gives participants a sense of belonging and resilience. Ethan Erickson, founder of the Suga Community Commission and Oregon Summer Star, said the program has subsidized costs through nonprofit fundraising and that SB 466 “would allow us to serve more families, maybe even double the number that we’re serving currently,” including providing bus transportation so families across the state can attend.

Katie Cetanovich, identified as formerly Sergeant First Class Pritchard and a veteran who served in the Oregon Army National Guard, described the camp’s personal impact on her daughters and told senators, “This very, very small investment has a very large impact.” Lou Scatch, camp director, said many staff are volunteers and that the program has kept operating on “scrappy” grassroots fundraising; he said campers have described the week as “better than Christmas” and that one teen credited the camp with keeping them alive during a difficult period.

Russell Gibson, government legislative affairs director for the Oregon Military Department, explained constraints on state and federal funding. He described Operation Purple — a program run by the National Military Family Association that previously funded similar camps for dependents of active‑duty service members — and said that federal funding must be used consistent with its fiscal purpose. Gibson told the committee Operation Purple funds were generally limited to dependents of active‑duty personnel and that federal family‑program funding does not easily cover programs that serve veterans or a broader group of military‑connected youth.

Testimony touched on the program’s funding history: witnesses said Oregon Summer Star had relied on national nonprofit support in earlier years but has seen that support decline. Several witnesses noted the program has been primarily self‑funded and driven by volunteer staff; they asked the legislature for stable state support to continue providing camp at no cost to participants. Witnesses and the sponsor discussed possible alternatives to direct general‑fund support; Weber said she was willing to amend the bill’s funding mechanism if that increases its chances in Ways and Means.

The committee did not take a vote on SB 466 during the hearing. Chair Manning closed public testimony on SB 466 and moved the committee’s consideration of Senate Bill 807 to the next meeting so staff and witnesses could have additional time.

Several members of the committee thanked witnesses for their testimony and for sharing personal accounts of how Oregon Summer Star affected campers and families. No formal action on SB 466 was recorded in the hearing transcript; committee members encouraged submitting written testimony through OLIS within 48 hours of the hearing.